Stethoscopes have long been used by mechanics to monitor machinery or health care professionals, such as doctors, nurses, technicians, veterinarians, etc., to monitor sounds produced by the heart, lungs, abdomen, and other structures in both humans and animals to diagnose illnesses. Sounds within engines or the body cause the stethoscope's diaphragm to vibrate, resulting in acoustic waves that travel via air-filled tubes to earpieces placed into the user's ears. There are various types of stethoscopes, such as acoustic and electronic. A traditional acoustic stethoscope is typically composed of a sound receiver assembly with a diaphragm and resonance chamber, flexible single or dual lumen tubing, two ear tubes, and two earpieces.
Typically, health care professionals are often performing other tasks when using the stethoscope, such as palpating the patient's pulse, holding the patient's chart, or manipulating equipment like a sphygmomanometer or thermometer. The design of a traditional stethoscope requires two hands to pull apart the ear tubes for placement of the earpieces into each ear.
Veterinarians also use stethoscopes to detect internal sounds produced by pets, livestock, and other animals. Often, veterinarians must hold down or subdue an anxious and agitated animal while attempting to hear the animal's internal noises, or must displace an animal's leg or other body part to allow access to vital areas. Manually separating the two ear tubes of a traditional stethoscope to place the earpieces in each ear requires two hands.
Further, disease-causing microorganisms are widespread in health care environments. In these locations pathogenic microorganisms are frequently found on patients' skin and clothing as well as on other surfaces in such an environment. Manually separating the two ear tubes of a traditional stethoscope to place earpieces in each ear requires two hands which may touch the caregiver's face or neck, thus possibly transmitting microorganisms. While known devices are directed to preventing the transmission of microorganisms between patients and/or health care professionals, there remains a need for an inexpensive, effective and easily-operated means for inhibiting the transmission of microorganisms.
To this end, although stethoscopes of the existing art are operable, further improvements or additions are desirable to be provided to a stethoscope which functions to be operated with one hand to expand at least one ear tube of a stethoscope so as to allow the positioning of an earpiece in the ear of an individual using one hand. It is to such a stethoscope expander assembly that at least one embodiment of the present invention is directed.